I have 6 hens. One Rhode Island Red, great layer, 1 Ameraucana, good layer, 3 Wyandottes, good layer and 1 Buff Orpington... The sweetest, but the Slacker. They are 9 months old and she hasn't laid her first egg yet. She is so silly. She does get picked on by the others and often won't jump...
I have an 8 month old Buff Orpington who was raised with the rest of the 5 others in the flock. She's the only one who hasn't started to lay. She is at the bottom of the pecking order, so I think she may be stressed. She recently decided to stay on the roost instead of jumping down each...
I recently set up an area in run for mix of chop straw/hay w/ PDZ. The rest of the run is sand. In Oregon and get lots of rain. This is my first rainy season, so far I see this mix is going to be a soggy mess! I read that this is a breeding ground for coccidocis (spelling) and chances for...
I thought about that this morning, but the rain will come in from the sides. It gets brutal over here. I think I'm going to clean it all out this weekend, we have a break in the weather, and just keep a minimal amount of hay for them to dither around in. It will get wet, but easier to clean...
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Inside my coop and in the roost I have sand, as well as the majority of the outdoor run. So far this spring and summer, it's been GREAT! When it rains, which it has this week, the sand of course gets wet and drains well. I scoop the poop everyday with a long...
I add a bit of hot water to the pellets every morning and night and they are now eating it up. They didn't like the change from crumbles to pellets. I thought the pellets would be less messy, but turns out they make a mess with anything I give them. LOL
The mash gets eaten up quickly and the...
Thank you for all this information. So, if I understand correctly, the greens, like fodder and berries, roses, weeds, etc, I shouldn't worry about? I will limit that, but still offer a bit each day? I'm growing barley and wheat fodder. I'm also trying flax, but it's not draining well, so I...
I am in the same situation! I just posted my thread, entitled, "Too many treats", too! LOL I understand your dilemma, because I love giving them all the goodies. I don't give them junk, as a matter of fact, I buy fruits and veggies, just for them. I peel the veggies and cut them up in their...
I'm new to chicken keeping and have 6 hens about 6 months old. 4 out of 6 are laying regularly. For the past 2 months, in addition to their proper feed, I give them healthy treats. They have a huge coop and run, but not free ranging. So I feel they need little goodies to keep them occupied...
I just read an article on how sand is a breeding ground for e-coli and coccidocis ( I know I spelled that wrong, sorry). I'm a new chicken mama, and have done lots of research and worked hard to give my 6 girls the best environment possible. We live in Oregon and haven't experienced a rainy...